'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' review: Eddie Murphy brings Big Dad Energy

After 40 years, Eddie Murphy can play his iconic detective Axel Foley in his sleep. It’s the little details, though, that make his latest “Beverly Hills Cop” movie a true comfort-food throwback: retro Bob Seger and Pointer Sisters tunes, that signature Detroit Lions varsity jacket and the impressive commitment to on-duty ridiculousness.

Three decades after Axel’s last assignment, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” (★★★ out of four; rated R; premiering Wednesday on Netflix) is a confident fourth outing in the action-comedy franchise. And while it's a very modern release – via streaming rather than movie theaters – everything else leans pretty old school.

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Chaos and wanton property destruction – plus Harold Faltermeyer’s synth-groovy “Axel F” theme – again follow Foley from his beloved Motor City to Southern California. A bunch of old faces return, new personalities freshen up the series and Axel, this time boasting Big Dad Energy, further cements himself as Murphy's top cinema character. (Sorry, Donkey.)

After a crazy-pants incident in downtown Detroit involving a snowplow and bad guys on ATVs (all set to Seger’s “Shakedown,” naturally), Axel gets a call from his old buddy Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold), who’s left the Beverly Hills police and is now a private eye investigating department corruption. Axel’s estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige), an LA defense attorney, has become embroiled in these shady shenanigans by taking on the case of a cop killer and her life has been threatened, which leads to her dad hopping on the next flight out.

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But there are a lot of hard feelings between Jane and Axel – especially on her part. When Billy goes missing, father and daughter reluctantly team up to uncover the conspiracy, with the help of Jane’s detective ex Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

Director Mark Malloy makes his film debut with “Axel F,” which is interestingly self-aware: Bobby runs down Axel’s prior Beverly Hills escapades, including one in 1994. "Not your finest hour,” Bobby says, a sharp jab at the forgettable third film. The franchise on the whole nicely borrows a page from the playbook of the similarly toned “Bad Boys” movies in recent years, in this case building out the mythology with debuting characters.

These personas allow Murphy to showcase different parts of Axel. Kevin Bacon’s shady Captain Grant gives him a complicated foil. (Between this and the new horror flick “MaXXXine,” Bacon is enjoying a nifty bad-guy period.) Gordon-Levitt gives Murphy a fun guy to banter with while Paige lets the longtime star dig into Axel’s parental emotions. Why he and Jane haven’t spoken in years is slowly revealed, but Murphy shines in the moment when Axel sees his grown child in person after so long apart, and the chatty cop is left speechless for once. 

Familiar players return in supporting fashion, such as Bronson Pinchot’s flamboyant realtor Serge, Paul Reiser’s embattled Detroit police captain Jeffrey Friedman and John Ashton’s Axel pal John Taggart, now the head of the BHPD. One of the biggest disappointments is the limited screen time with original “Cops” stars Murphy, Reinhold and Ashton, separated mainly by plot but energizing when all together.

While the franchise has never been known for hard-hitting police drama, “Axel F” does veer too earnest at times and is at its best when embraces a sillier side, like a chase through Rodeo Drive with Axel driving a meter maid car and “Neutron Dance” pumping through the speakers.

It’s an irresistibly arresting “Beverly Hills Cop” that knows when to play the hits.